Mountain Lion encounter

[DarwinDave]

So, while out elk hunting in NW Montana this past weekend, I had a pretty scary situation I had some questions about, and figured I'd ask here for some clarity.

While checking out a couple of potential elk bedding spots, I bumped into a very large cougar. It was just as I created over an edge of a ravine, and he was heading on a beeline staright towards me, no more than 5 steps away. To be fair, I had the advantage (disadvantage?) with the wind, and there was no way he could have smelled me or even saw me coming up that particular edge, so I don't know if I was actually being stalked or it was just a chance encounter. In a split second decision, I shot over his head, and he took off running. Suckers head was above my waistline, don't know how big they get. I didn't have a tag for mountain lions. Right after I shot, and my heart slowed down enough that I felt I wasn't going to have a heart attack, I got to thinking...

Did I handle the situation correctly? Could I have just yelled at him to scare him off? I don't know anything about cats really, or their patterns.

Would I have been justified in shooting to kill instead? How would I go about handling it after had I killed him?

I've had a couple buddies laugh about it, and one guy actually get a little cross with me because he said they hunt elk too, and the only good cat is a dead one. I'm out hunting for meat, not bloodthirsty, and didn't agree with him. I've heard the same opinion on wolves too. Is it commonplace for locals to kill predators and just leave them? I didn't have and I'll will towards it, he wasn't even looking my way, I think he was just wandering and was dumb luck to get that close.

 

[Bigjav]

From what I hear they are pretty good eating, so I don't think blood thirsty would be the correct phrase

 

[BrentD]

I've never bumped into one, but they have bumped into me. All I ever saw was their tracks on top of my tracks. They love to follow people but they are generally pretty shy. Of course, a few are not, and those are the ones you hear about.

 

[VikingsGuy]

You can shoot any animal (even the two legged ones), any time, in any state, if you can convince a game warden, cop, district attorney or jury that an objectively reasonable person would believe that the animal presents an imminent danger of death or serious bodily harm to yourself or another (in some states for two legged shooting you also have to show an inability to retreat). Dogs (no matter how much you love them) and livestock are a different matter, and the rules then vary by species and state.

 

[Gerald Martin]

First of all congrats on a cool encounter! Yes almost certainly could have yelled at him with the same result since it seems he was unaware of your presence and wasn’t actually stalking you. If he had been behind you and making eye contact yelling may or may not have worked. Lions are very good eating if you do ever happen to get a tag and kill one. The meat is consistent with lean pork.

 

[el unit]

Wow! Cool encounter. Pretty rare to have that happen.
Glad you didn't kill that cat. If you had a license however, they are very good to eat and look nice on the wall too.

 

[mtmuley]

I've had several cat encounters, including four in one spot last year and surprising two on a fresh deer kill. I didn't feel especially threatened at any time. Yelling and arm waving spooked all but the ones on the kill. I just backed off of that with sidearm drawn. mtmuley

 

[shoots-straight]

I've had a lot of cat encounters. Had several follow me all the while I talked to them. Claws brought to a gun, or bow fight usually end up with the claw owner losing. I have killed several in those chance encounters. Several mistook me for a game animal which wasn't healthy for them. I have had wolves, lions, and bears in such chance encounters that all ended up with the animals figuring out they needed to leave. It's the situation your in that dictates your actions. Only you know if you acted right or not. I don't think having a cat wrapped around my throat would be fun. The mountain lion is a very unpredictable creature. I think most of them would leave you alone, but I'm worried about the one that doesn't.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

My one and only encounter was 35 years ago in the Toiyabe Range in central Nevada. I came away from that knowing that if one really wants you it has the capability of taking you at any time.

 

[utah400elk]

I had a significant lion encounter one year. I was calling elk and had called in a few cows...story of my life, no bulls in AZ unit 1. No tag and on private property. Just calling for fun and pics. In the last hour of light I had a blond elk coming in quick through the trees. When I got a good look, the blond elk was actually a mountain lion. It was fading light and about 45-50 yards out. I had no guns or bows (no tags). I stood up and yelled and waved my arms. The cat just crouched down. I reached down to grab a rock and the cat did the low quick steps and closed the distance to about 30. The pucker factor was terrible. I was in a real bad spot. The cat decided it could take me. I could not run, could not climb a tree and I didn’t feel that giving the cat more time was a good move. I quickly reached down and grabbed a few rocks. As I did, the cat again did the low quick step routine and was now under 20 yards. I charged the cat yelling and throwing the rock when I was out of rocks and about three to five yards from the cat it turned and ran. I was about to jump on the cat. I had no other options and felt forcing the fight or flight was my best chance.

Since thy day, I always carry some type of weapon in the woods. I feel I was very lucky.

 

[LopeHunter]

I had a significant lion encounter one year. I was calling elk and had called in a few cows...story of my life, no bulls in AZ unit 1. No tag and on private property. Just calling for fun and pics. In the last hour of light I had a blond elk coming in quick through the trees. When I got a good look, the blond elk was actually a mountain lion. It was fading light and about 45-50 yards out. I had no guns or bows (no tags). I stood up and yelled and waved my arms. The cat just crouched down. I reached down to grab a rock and the cat did the low quick steps and closed the distance to about 30. The pucker factor was terrible. I was in a real bad spot. The cat decided it could take me. I could not run, could not climb a tree and I didn’t feel that giving the cat more time was a good move. I quickly reached down and grabbed a few rocks. As I did, the cat again did the low quick step routine and was now under 20 yards. I charged the cat yelling and throwing the rock when I was out of rocks and about three to five yards from the cat it turned and ran. I was about to jump on the cat. I had no other options and felt forcing the fight or flight was my best chance.

Since thy day, I always carry some type of weapon in the woods. I feel I was very lucky.

Ah, a good offense is often the best defense. Glad it worked out for you using one of the early weapon versions of our ancestors. I have encountered mountain lions but never been charged, knock on wood. I do not trust them.

 

[onpoint]

Consider yourself lucky, DarwinDave.
I have roamed around Montana lion country for 30 some years.
Iv'e had em cut my tracks, leave their tracks in my camp near Ekalaka,, had a subadult eat a portion of an elk 1/4 left on a cliff overnight in the Crazies, heard the classic cat growl above me at Cliff Lake, handled dozens and dozens (maybe hundreds) of dead ones, and seen many live specimens in captive situations.
Went out with houndsmen friends looking for a track to get on, never was with when they actually got on one.
My wife saw three in our yard during the years we lived in the foothills. Had a cat killed deer right behind the house - never saw the cat.
I have never actually seen one in the "wild".
On my bucket list, now.

 

[Lawnboy]

I cow called one in during archery season. It was fun to watch him as he zig zagged from tree to tree trying to sneak in. I'll admit it got a little less fun the closer he got. I'll never forget looking at him through the binos. The look on its face of shear determination to get in unseen was wild. Once he got to around 75 yds I stepped out so he'd see us and then he took off. I have since seen 3 while spotting on the Bridger mountains near town.

 

[Ben Long]

I think your action served the purpose of protecting yourself and persuading the cat to move along. To me, it sounds like you were both hunting elk and bumped into each other. It has happened to me, too, though not at such close range. Could you have shot the cat and avoided legal trouble? Yes. If the entry hole is in the front of the cat, I don't think there is a warden who would cite you or a judge/jury who would convict you in NW MT. Of course, you would have had to turn over the carcass and put up with a bunch of questions from the wardens. If you would have had a tag, so much the better and you would have had a fine trophy and some meat. (Serve it well done.) But your friend who says lions are serious competition for deer and elk is mistaken. Lions are highly territorial and check their own numbers because big cats kill little cats. Lion predation can be problematic in some circumstances (like small, isolated populations of bighorns) but they are not population drivers in NW MT. Winter severity and forest succession are the main drivers. You might read Path of the Puma by local biologist Jim Williams, or corner Jim sometime and ask him about it

 

[Gut Shot]

I had one sneak up on me elk hunting several years ago in Colorado. I was able to scare it off. I think he was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. He was within 12-15 feet of me when I turned and saw him. After chasing him off he only went about 10 yards in front of me and went back to looking for "elk" he had heard. I got a bunch of pictures, most weren't worth a damn because I was shaking too bad to hold the camera steady. The guys at camp that night wouldn't have believed me if I didn't have photographic evidence.

After it was all finished I'm glad I didn't shoot it. It was an encounter that will remain fresh in my mind until the day I die, and killing the cat may have diminished that. On top of that I would have to stop my elk hunt and contact game and fish, a distraction that would have taken the entire day from elk hunting.

 

[psycho]

I have had a few chance encounters as well. Some great photos of kittens and mom at 8 feet. They were getting off the rocks and ran right by me. I understand that heart racing you speak of. I had my gun on the mom as it emerged around the rock. If the cubs were not with it then I would have taken that cat home.
The tags are cheap so I always keep one in my pocket. Yes, mountain lion is tasty. Its such a white meat its fairly similar to pork. Cook them good though as they have some bad stuff.
Congrats as that memory will vivid for a long time.

 

[onpoint]

Cook them good though as they have some bad stuff

Lion jerky from your buddy's home smoker is great. Until you feel crappy and nauseous followed the pain of your muscle fibers being split by little nasties encysting away.
But hey, some anti parasitic meds and anti-inflammatories, some time, and your good to go - with a great story too boot

 

[Bluejeep]

Seems like in my experience, once you run into them, you kind of keep running into them. So will you be buying a lion tag for next year?